A lifetime experience that wasn’t anticipated at all; even though my enrolment to the program came by chance, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. The degree of diversity that I encountered in that program was beyond my expectations. Not only the students but also the teaching staff come from various backgrounds and nationalities which make the learning journey worthwhile. Glasgow is also a beautiful city where you can study, have fun, meet new people, and explore your potentials for development. Support is always provided for all the inquisitive out there and feedback is always cherished inside the university.

I studied political science in my undergraduate degree and I was involved in student activities and community development initiatives through my studies, besides being a professional basketball player back in Egypt. When I came to Glasgow, I thought that I would have to abandon all the extracurricular activities I used to do to focus on the Masters. However, I found myself joining the university basketball team and contributing to any voluntary opportunities that pass by, besides studying. This taught me a very important lesson; you should never give up on your dreams, and for you to find what you are passionate about, you should try everything and get involved in every aspect of the opportunities provided.

IMRCEES was an eye-opening experience for self-exploration; it doesn’t just provide its students with the learning experience they needed, every course contributes to our knowledge and the focus of the subjects vary widely, giving us more options and flexibility to discover our research interests. My research interests are mainly in the field of international relations and I am currently focusing on the relations between Russia and the West for my thesis. Also, the chance to learn a foreign language is an opportunity you can’t find elsewhere which provides you with an in-depth knowledge of the area under study and a competitive advantage for the labour market afterwards.

First published: 13 February 2017

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